Two questions:
1. Is Chaillot pronounced "Shay-Low" or "Shay-yo"? I'm working with about three different French language self-study resources, but I still can't figure it out!
2. I believe the Paris Museum Pass covers the Orangerie, but I read somewhere that you still needed reservations...I'd be most grateful if someone could please clarify that for me.
Thanks!

Musee du Luxembourg often has fascinating exhibitions. One on Titian closed last month. I saw a terrific one three years ago on self-portraits by various masters, Degas, Picasso, Matisse ... It’s going to feature the work of Rene Lalique, a major glass maker and jewelry designer, from March 7 through July 29.

Chaillot is pronounced Shi (rhymes with buy) --owe (just like the word of the same spelling).

Merci beaucoup, Cimbrone!

I might suggest that the Chaillot is pronounced "Shy-yo" , with "yo" instead of "owe"

When people want an unknown museum, I always recommend the Musée de la Vie Romantique. It isn't much, but it is charming and often you have the entire place to yourself. And it's free.

We like to get the Carte Musee. It can be purchased anywhere. It helps you avoid long lines to purchase tickets at each museum. It also includes many small museums that can be real treasures that may otherwise be missed.

I like the Marmottan, but think the Petit Palais is a superior museum. Of course there are Impressionist works in the Petit Palais, they have a very famous Monet in there, among other Impressionist works. It was stunning as I'd never seen it before except in photos (Soleil Couchant sur la Seine a Lavacourt), and you can only see so many water lilies before they are kind of a bit less stunning IMO. They have art from many different periods, from antiquity through at least the beginning of the 20th Century, which is why I like it. I love that museum since the re-opening. They have some paintings by Manet, Corot, Ingres, Renoir, Sisley, Cezanne and Vuillard,m for a few famous names.

I don't love the Marmottan, but I visit it very few years. I don't think the Monets in there are his best works, and the rest of the collection isn't that impressive to me there. It just takes more time to get to/from that, also, so I don't go there as often. Even if you love Monet, I would go to the Orangerie and Petit Palais before the Marmottan myself.

The Maison de Balzac is interesting if you are over that way and like him. I thought Victor Hugo's apt. on the Place des Vosges was more interesting, actually.

I very much like the Musee Maillol, for smaller museumse, and it sounds like something you would like.

The Marmottan and the Petit Palais are both excellent. I also enjoyed Arts Decoratifs (i'm sure I've mis-spelled it).

The Marmottan is lovely and the walk through the park, seeing the children riding the old fashioned merry go round is charming - if it a nice day, pick up a sandwhich and drink and have a pcinic before or after the museum.
The Oragnerie is a must see if you love impressionist art - but it is very busy.
The Rodin museum is great - but I think the sculpture garden is almosy better than the museum itself - it is cheaper (and no lines) to buy a ticket for the garden, again, pack a picnic, and you can spend a lovely relaxing hour or so having lunch and weandering through the garden (my idea of Paris - food and art!).
As a side trip the Jardin de Plant (boy, my spelling is bad) is also lovely - a wonderul small zoo and lovely gardins, and a terrific natural history museum to boot.
enjoy

Lisa

The Marmatton houses Monet's seminal work, "Impression: Sunrise." That alone is worth the trip. I have to say, I like the progression of waterlilies paintings in the Marmatton and don't find them repetitive at all. On the contrary, you can really see the development of Monet's thinking over the two decades or so that he was working with that subject at Giverny. They have several of the later ones which are really, really interesting in their abstraction.

On my trip last May, I went to Giverny the day before I went to the Marmatton, and that proved to be an excellent decision--I enjoyed the paintings in the Marmatton all the more having been to the gardens just before. You may want to think about that, Cimbrone, if you have the time!

I like the Institute du Monde Arabe. I love to go to the terrace (great view of Paris, particularly of Notre Dame), to the beautiful museum shop, and love to see the shutters move according to the sunlight.

The Institute is on the 5eme, near the Sorbonne (more or less).

I appreciate all of the replies! Jody, or anyone else, still wondering if buying an advance ticket for the Orangerie the day before a Sunday in June is advisable or if they might be sold out.

Been to Giverny, dejavu. LOVED it! Hope to return someday.

Hi There!

Spent quite a few months living in Paris and visited almost all the museums there.

My personal favorites:
-Musee Rodin - excellent collection of the 19th century sculptor's work. The house it's in is pretty, as are the gardens and grounds surrounding the house

-Musee de Cluny - excellent small museum if you like medieval stuff. Some 19th century painters were inspired by medieval times, so that might interest you. The famous lady and unicorn tapestries are there.

Musee de Luxembourg puts together wonderful exhibitions. If you can get to the Lalique jewelry exhibit mentioned in an earlier post - do it! He was active during the late 19th and early 20th, so that might fit into your 19th century art interest as well (he was inspired by Japanese artists, like the impressionist painters)

-It's not exactly a museum, but if you haven't yet been, I think everyone should get to the Sainte-Chapelle and see it's stained glass. It is one of the most underrated sights in Paris. If you appreciate the impressionists - who love color and light - then you will enjoy this gem - it's one of the most extraordinary places I've visited - on a sunny day, it's like an impressionist painting blown up!

Cimbrone, if it's Impressionism that you're interested in than IMO you must visit the Marmottan. There is a room of works by Berte Marisol - one of the fioe artists that founded the movement and the only woman. The works were donanted by her grandson. And, as previously mentioned, Monet's "Impression, Sunrise" which named the movement.

We were really taken with the Rodin museum. Some of his lesser known sculpture is really gorgeous. The grounds are nicely laid out as well.

nolefan1: This thread is more than a year old (Leclerc registered to top it and others to advertise websites)

Well, serendipitously, I was just deciding which museums to take my 13-year-old to this weekend...

Marmottan topped my list but now I'll look into the musee de la Marine and Institute du Monde Arabe.

So thank you Cimbrone and all who contributed.

gruezi

Musee de la Moyen Age is one of my favorites ... it was a surprise to me, especially the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry room.